Pan forming apparatus



March 26, 1957 c, BORROW 2,786,509

PAN FORMING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1955 5G )4 W AfiORNEY March 26,1957 c. J. BORROW 2,736,509

PAN FORMING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 25, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORit/1B0 Pro 20 PAN FORMING APPARATUS Charles E. Borrow, Carmichael,Calif.

Application November 25, 1953, Serial No. 394,337

6 Claims. (Cl. 15317) This invention relates to a portable apparatus ofextremely simple construction which may be carried by a workman to thelocation of a job and utilized for forming shower pans or similararticles.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide anapparatus capable of accurately forming corner folds in sheets of metaland other materials.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of the pan forming apparatus with the flapsor leaves thereof in extended positions;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the flaps or leaves raised forfolding two edge portions of a sheet of material;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantiallyalong a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyalong a plane as indicated by the line 66 of Figure 5, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 7-7 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the pan forming apparatusin its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 10and includes a substantially square bottom plate 11 having flaps orleaves 12 and 13 connected by hinges 14 to two adjacent edges of saidbottom plate 11. The hinges 14 preferably extend from .end-to-end of theflaps or leaves and of the edges of the plate 11 to which said hingesare secured.

A substantially V-shaped bar 15 is suitably secured to the underside ofthe bottom plate 11 and has complementary bar ends 16 extending frombeneath the edges thereof to which the hinges 14 are secured outwardlyto beyond the outer free edges of the flaps or leaves 12 and 13. Saidflaps or leaves are normally supported on the bar ends 16, asillustrated in Figures 1 and 3.

A pair of upstanding ears 17 are fixed to and rise from each bar end 16remote to the plate 11 and outwardly with respect to the outer edges ofthe leaves 12 and 13, as seen in Figures '1 and 3. The ears of each pairof cars 17 are spaced to receive therebetween a flattened end 18 of anarch shaped rod 19. A pivot pin 20 extends through each pair of ears 17and loosely through the rod end 18 disposed therebetween for swingablyconnecting the rods 19 to the outer portions of the bar ends 16. A flatbar forming a head 21 is secured to the opposite end of each rod 19, inany suitable manner, and said heads 21 are nited States Patent 02,786,509 Patented Mar. 26, 1957 disposed flush against one side of atop plate 22 and are suitably secured thereto as by means of rivets 23.The top plate 22 is preferably of the same size and shape as the bottomplate 11 and is so connected to the heads 21 as to be disposed in acentered position overthe bottom plate 11 when the rods 19 are disposedas illustrated-in the drawings. I

A notch 24 is formed in and opens outwardly of the corner of the topplate 22 which is located betweenthe adjacent ends of the flaps orleaves 12 and 13. A pair of angle members 25 are secured by fastenings26 to the upper side of the top plate 22 and have upstanding adjacentlydisposed walls or flanges 27 defining a channel therebetween which isdisposed in alignment with said notch 24. A blade or fin 28, as bestillustrated in Figure 5, which is preferably of substantially the shapeof a parallelogram, has a portion thereof loosely disposed between theupstanding fianges or walls 27. A bolt or pin 29 extends through saidwalls 27, remote from the notch 24 and through the blade or fin 28, nearone end thereof, for swingably connecting the blade or fin to the topplate 22. The pivot pin 29 is so disposed relatively to the blade 28,that in one position of said blade as illustrated in Figure 5, thebottom edge 30 thereof rests flush against the upper surface of the topplate 22. The blade 28, remote from the pivot 29, is provided with anintegral depending projection 31, which extends downwardly from saidbottom edge 30-and which fits into the notch 24, when the edge 30 isresting on the plate 22. The blade or fin 28 has an outer edge 32 whichis inclined upwardly and outwardly from the projection 31 and from theouter end of said bottom edge 30.

A latching pin 33 is urged by a pull spring 34 through aligned openings35 of the walls 27, which are located adjacent to the notch 24. The pin33 extends through an opening 36 of the blade 28, to latch said blade inits position. of Figure 5. It will be readily obvious that the latch pin33 may be retracted out of engagement with the blade opening 36 to allowthe blade or fin 28 to be swung clockwise from its operative position ofFigure 5 to an inoperative position wherein a back edge 37 of said bladewill rest on the top plate 22.

The leaves or flaps 12 and 13 are each provided with two transverselydisposed slots 38 which extend toward and away from the adjacent edgesof the top plate 22, in each of which is slidably mounted a clampingfastening 39 which is connected to a gauge member 40. The gauge members40 are disposed on the upper sides of the leaves 12 and 13 and areslidably movable with the clamping fastening 39 toward and away from theplate 22 and are secured by said clamping fastenings indifferentadjusted positions at desired distances from the adjacent edges of thetop plate 22. The upper surfaces of the leaves or flaps 12 and 13 arealso provided with longitudinally extending lines 41 which arepreferably spaced one-half inch apart to form a linear scale on theupper surface of each leaf.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the apparatus 10constitutes a portable device which may be readily carried onto a joband as it is intended primarily for making shower pans, it will bedescribed in conjunction with this use. However, it is to be understoodthat the apparatus 10 is likewise well adapted for forming otherreceptacles. In the use of the apparatus, the rods 19 carrying the topplate 22 are swung upwardly from their positions as illustrated in thedrawings in the direc tions as indicated by the arrow 42 in Figure 3, sothat a sheet of material 43 may be placed on the bottom plate 11. Twoedges of the sheet 43 overlie portions of the leaves or flaps 12 and 13,which are disposed coplanar with the bottom plate 11 and either thegauge elements 40 or the scale lines 41 are employed for properlycentering the material 43 relatively to the bottom plate 11 and so thatthe four edges of the material 43 will be spaced outwardly equaldistances from the four adjacent edges of the bottom plate. The rods 19carrying the top plate 22 are then swung back toward their positions asillustrated in the drawings and so that the top plate 22 will rest onthe material 43 for clamping the material between the plates 11 and 22.The blade or fin 28 may be in its latched position as illustrated in thedrawings during these movements of the top plate 22. With the top plate22 held firmly on the material 43, the leaves or flaps 12 and 13 areswung upwardly and inwardly from their horizontal positions of Figure lto their upright or vertical positions of Figures 2 and 4, causing thetwo side edge portions of the material 43 which are resting on theleaves 12 and 13 to be bent upwardly to form two pan sides 43a,

as seen in Figures 2, 4 and 6. This upward bending of the material toform the pan sides 43a will also cause the corner of the material whichis disposed beneath the inclined outer edge 32 of the blade 28 to befolded by said edge to provide a two ply fold 4312 which straddles theouter portion of the blade 28, as best illustrated in Figures 2 and 6.The latch pin 33 may then be retracted to permit the blade or fin 28 tobe swung counterclockwise as seen in Figure 5 about its pivot 29 and outof engagement with the fold 43b. The leaves 12 and 13 may then bereturned to their horizontal positions of Figure 1, after which the'fold43b may be bent over against the outer side of one of the pan sides 43aan secured thereto in any'suitable manner as by welding, if the material43 constitutes a metal. It will be apparent that the rods 19 are archedsufiiciently so that the leaves 12 and 13 may be swung upwardlytherebeneath, as illustrated in the drawings.

Thereafter, the rods 19 and plate 22 are swung upwardly as previouslydescribed to re-position the material 43 by turning it through an arc of90, preparatory to repeating the operation, until the four pan sides 43aand the four corner folds 43b have been formed. If desired, the cornerfolds 43b may be bent over and secured after formation of all of thecorner folds and pan sides have been completed.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, without departing from thespirit or scope of the inventionas hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a bottom platehaving two side edges forming a right angle, leaves hingedly connectedto said side edges and extending the length thereof, a top plate, meansswingably connecting said top plate and bottom plate at points spacedoutwardly from said leaves for swinging movement of the top plate towardand away from the bottom plate and for positioning the top plate withtwo right angularly disposed edges thereof directly above saidaforementioned right angularly disposed edges of the bottom plate, saidplates forming a clamp between which a sheet of material is adapted tobe detachably clamped with edge portions thereof overlying correspondingportions of said leaves, when the leaves are disposed substantiallycoplanar with said bottom plate, and a blade secured to the upper.

side of said top plate and having an upwardly inclined bottom edgeextending outwardly and upwardly from the corner of the top platelocated between said leaves, said leaves being swingable upwardly forbending the sheet portions disposed thereon upwardly to form two pansides and for folding the corner of the sheet located between said pansides around said bottom edge of the blade.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, said means swingably connecting theplates including bar ends secured to the underside of the bottom plateand extending outwardly therefrom to beyond the outer edges of theleaves, arch shaped members having complementary ends swingablyconnected to the outer portions of said bar ends and having inner endssecured to spaced portions of the upper side of said top plate, saidleaves being swingable upwardly to positions perpendicular to the platesand beneath said arch members.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, and means supporting said blade in aplane perpendicular to the plane of said top plate.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3, said means including a pivot forswingably mounting said blade relatively to the top plate for swingingmovement inwardly and away from said top plate corner to an inoperativeposition, and a latch forming a part of said supporting means forreleasably latching the blade in an operative position with saidinclined edge portion thereof extending outwardly and upwardly from thecorner of the top plate located adjacent the adjacent ends of saidleaves.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4, said top plate corner having an outwardlyopening notch, and said blade having a bottom edge portion resting onthe top surface of the top plate, when the blade is in an operativeposition, and provided with a depending projection fitting into saidnotch.

6. An apparatus of the character described comprising a bottom clampingplate and a top clamping plate, means swingably connecting said platesfor locating right angularly disposed side edges of the plates inregistering positions, a pair of leaves hingedly connected to andextending outwardly from the right angularly disposed edges of thebottom plate and on which edge portions of a sheet of material clampedbetween said plates are disposed, and a blade member secured to the topplate and having an upwardly and outwardly inclined bottom edgeextending outwardly and upwardly from the right angularly disposedcorner of said top plate and between said leaves, said leaves beingswingable upwardly to upright positions for bending the portions of thematerial disposed thereon upwardly to form two pan sides, the corner ofthe material located beneath said blade edge being folded therearound bythe upward swinging movement of the leaves to form a corner fold in thematerial between said pan sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 57,261Sager Aug. 14, 1866 79,438 Best u Aug. 14, 1868 145,660 Kuessner Dec.16, 1873 271,388 Williams et al. Jan. 30, 1883

